Universal joint



cit, i6 i923., E'mf J. c. CROMWELL, 4

UNIVERSAL JOINT Filed Feb. 17'. 1920 2 smug-sheet 1 mgl ci. 16 1923.A1,471,143

J. C. CROMWELL UNIVERSAL JOINT Filed Feb. 17. 1920 2 shuts-Sheet 2Patented Get. 16, 1923.

UNiTEo: STATES Joni; c. cRoMwELL, or cLEvELAND, omo.

UNrvEnsAL JorN'r.

`Application led February 17, 1920. Serial No. $59,406.

2 '0 all whom t ma/ z/ concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. CRoMWELL,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county ofCuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Universal Joints, of which the 1 following is a full, clear, andexact description.

The present invention relates broadly to flexible joints or connections,and more particularly-to joints ofthe type referred to as universaljoints.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a joint ofthe character described, comprising a permanent flexible metallicconnection between the driving and driven members.

Another object of the invention is to provide a universal jointcomprising a flexible driving connection in the form of a corrugatedmetallic sheet or tube.

, Still another object of the present invention is to provide auniversaljoint having a plurality of independent fiexible driving connectionseach capable of absorbing part of the bending torque independently ofthe others.

The foregoing and other objects, together with their attendantadvantages, will be apparent as the invention becomes better understoodby reference to the accompanying specification and drawings forming apart thereof, it being premised that chan es may be made in the variousdetails and t e manner ofA operation within the scope of the appendedclaims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through one type of joint constructedin accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through a slightly modified type ofconnection, and

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through a compound universaljoint.

Referring more particularly to 4Figure 1 of the drawings, there isillustrated a driv-` ing shaft 2 provided with a split bearing 4 of anydesired construction. The inner end 5 of the driving shaft is preferablyreduced and threaded for the reception of a nut 6.

The driven member co-operating with the driving member 2 comprises acasing 7 suitably enlarged adjacent one end and provided with aninternally threaded portion 8 adapted for the reception of a bearingmembei` 9 havingfa bearing surface adapted to recelve and co-operatewith the bearing 4. By forming the bearing 4 of two or more parts,y asindicated, it may be readily placed in position within the bearingmember.

Connecting the driving and. driven members is a flexible metallicconnection comprising preferably a corrugated tubular member 10 havingone end flanged outward-- ly and provided with openings to pass over thepins 11 carried either by the casing 7 or the bearing member 9. Theopposite end of the corrugated flexible connection is flanged inwardlyand clamped between the end of the drivin shaft 2 and the nut 6. It hasbeen foun that by constructing the flexible connection of steelcorrugated in the manner illustrated, there is provided sufficientstrength for transmitting all of the driving force at the same timeproviding sufficient .exibility to permit the desired relative movementbetween the driving and driven members.

In Figure 2 there is illustrated a slightly modified type of jointcomprising a driving member 12 having a'hollow spherical head 14 adaptedto t within the detachable bearing members 15 and 16 of the drivenmember 17. In this type of joint, both the ldriving and driven membersare provided with stub shafts 18- each having a key connection 19, and.each provided with an enlarged head 20. Suitably secured between theheads 20 is a fiexible connection 10a similar to the connection 4l()illustrated in Figure 1.

In Figure 3 there is illustrated one form of compound joint comprising adriving member`21 and a driven member 22, each provided wit-h heads 24having a bearing 95 portion 25 co-operatin with the bearing members 26carried by t e casing 27. Interlmediate the ends of the casing 27 is apartition plate 28 suitably secured to the casing. Intermediate each ofthe heads 24 and the par- 100 tition 28 is an independent flexibleconnection 10b correspondin to the flexible connections already describeDue to the provision of #two fiexible connections of this type, it willbe apparent that if the relative defiection between the driving anddriven members is 10, each of the connections will independently takecare of approximately one-half of the bending torque. In shafts, such asdriving shafts for automobiles, where there. l

is a comparatively large amount of defiection at times between thedriving and driven4 members, a joint of this type is highly advantageousas the life of the joint is increased, due to the distribution of thebending torque.

It is well known that during the operation of universal joints there isa considerable variation in speed between the driving and drivenmembers. At times, during each revolution, the driven member rotatesfaster than the driving .member and at othertimes rotates slower, thechange from minimum to maximum variation being a gradual one. The amountof variation, however, increases with each increase in the angulardifference, or deflection, between the driving and drivenV members, butthe rate of increase, is greater. For example, if the angular differenceis ten degrees, the amount of variation is about four times that whichexists with an angular difference ofbut five degrees. In view of this,1t will be readily understood that with a compound, or two-in-one, jointwhere each con` nection takes care of one-half of the angulardifference, the amount of variation is substantially reduced by half,and the re` sultant jerk correspondingly reduced.

- provided with exible dirt excluding diaphragms 29 of `any usualconstruction.

The advantages of the present invention arise from a universal jointhaving a permanent flexible metallic driving connection between thedriving and driven members.

Further advantages arise from a construction employing a plurality ofsuch flexible connections whereby the wear o n each of the connectionsis minimized. It will .be apparent that the terms driving and drivenmembers4 appearing throughout the specification and claims may refer toeither of the parts, as the power may be applied to either of thesemembers. I claim: 1. A universal joint, comprising a driving member, adriven member, and a plurality of metallic flexible tubular drivingconnec-` tions between said members, substantially as described.

2. A universal joint, comprising a driving member, a driven member, anda plurality of corrugated tubular driving connections between saidmembers, substantially as described.

3. A universal joint, comprising a driving member, a driven member, abearing surface formed on one of said members, a bearing carried by theother of said members and co-operating therewith, and a corrugateddriving connection between said members, substantially as described.

4. A universal joint, comprising a driving member, a driven member, abearing surface formed on one of said members, a bearing carried by theother of said members and co-operating therewith, and a metallicflexible tubular driving connection between said members, substantiallyas described.

5. A universal joint, comprising a driving member, a driven member, abearing surface formed on one of said members, a bearing carried b theother of said members and co-operatlng therewith, and a corrugatedtubular drlving connection between said members, substantially asdescribed.

6. A universal joint, comprising a driving member, a driven member, abearing surface formed on one of said members, a bearing carried by theother of said members and co-operating therewith, land a plurality ofcorrugated driving connections between said members, substant1a1ly asdescribed.

7. A universal joint, comprising a driving member, a driven member, abearlng surface -formed on each of said members, bearings member, adriven member, a bearing surface vAny of the types of connections may beformed o n each of said members, bearings co-operatmg therewith, and aplurality of corrugated tubular driving connections bet'ween saidmembers, substantially as described.

9. A universal joint, comprising a casing, a driven member extendinginto one end of said casing, a driving member extending into the other'end of said casing, a partition intermediate the ends of said casing,and independent metallic flexible driving connections between saidmembers and said'partition, substantially as described.

l0. A universal joint, comprising a casing, a driven member extendinginto one end of said casing, Ia drivin member extending into the otherend of sai casing, a partition intermediate the ends of said casing, andindependent corrugated tubular driving connections between said membersand said partition, substantially as described.

l1, A universal joint, comprising a casing,

. a drlven member co-operating with one end of said casing, a drivingmember co-operating with the opposite end of said casing, bearingsbetween said members and sald casing, a partition intermediate the endsof said easing, and a plurality of independent flexible tubular drivingconnections between said members and said partition, substantially asdescribed.

12. A universal joint, comprising a driving member, a driven member, 'apartition, and a plurality of independent flexible tubular drlvingconnections between the driving and driven members and said partition,each socket joint.

of said connections .absorbing substantially half of the angulardeliec'tion between said members, substantially as described.

13. AA joint for minimizing speed variations, comprising adrivingmember, a driven -member, and a plurality of independentlyoperable corrugated tubular driving connections between the adjacentends of said members, substantially as described.

14. In a universal joint adapted to coupl'e a driving and a drivenshaft', a resilient casing in bellows form having its two ends fixedrespectively to the two shafts so Ias to afford la powerftransmittinmember and a hollow container surroun ing said casing and-made in twoparts forming a ball and 15. A Vuniversal jointcomprising a drivingmember, a driven member, a plurality ing member, a driven member, apartition, a

plurality 'ot independent flexible driving connections between thedriving and driven members Yand said partition, each of said connectionsabsorbing-substantially half of the angular deflection between saidmembers, and a rigid tnbularcasing enclosing said driving connections'and carrying said partition, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, -I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN c. cRoMwELL.

